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Hard Disk Serial Number Changer — Easy Guide & Top Tools

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Quick definition

A hard disk serial number changer is software that modifies the volume serial number or the hardware serial (depending on the tool) that the system or programs use to identify a drive.

How disk serial numbers work

There are two commonly referenced identifiers for a disk:

  • Volume Serial Number: Assigned when a filesystem (e.g., FAT32, NTFS) is created or formatted. It’s stored in the filesystem metadata and is what many Windows applications read using standard APIs (e.g., GetVolumeInformation).
  • Hardware/Device Serial Number: A manufacturer-assigned identifier stored in the drive’s firmware or reported via the drive’s interface (SATA, NVMe, SCSI). Tools that query SMART, ATA IDENTIFY DEVICE, or NVMe IDENTIFY will retrieve this value.

Which one an application uses depends on the application and the detection method. Changing the volume serial number is comparatively simple; changing the hardware serial is more complex and often impossible without specialized firmware tools or manufacturer support.

Why change a disk serial number?

Legitimate reasons:

  • Restore original identifiers after cloning to maintain software licensing that binds to a disk ID.
  • Testing software behavior when disk identifiers change.
  • Forensic lab work and research where controlled modification is necessary.
  • Replacing a failing drive while preserving references in scripts or legacy systems that expect a specific volume ID.

Illegitimate uses (avoid these):

  • Bypassing software licensing or DRM that binds to disk identifiers.
  • Concealing device identity to evade tracking or accountability.
  • Changing disk serial numbers to bypass licensing or copyright protections is illegal in many jurisdictions and violates software terms of service.
  • In forensic or investigative contexts, altering evidence is ethically and legally fraught—do not modify production evidence without proper authorization.
  • Use these tools only on drives you own or have explicit permission to modify.

Methods to change disk serial numbers

  1. Change the Volume Serial Number (VSN)

    • Works for NTFS/FAT volumes.
    • Does not alter the hardware serial number.
    • Reversible by reformatting or using tools that set a specific VSN.

  2. Change the drive’s firmware-reported serial (hardware serial)

    • Only possible for some drives with specialized manufacturer utilities or low-level firmware tools.
    • Risky: can brick the drive or void warranty.
    • Rarely available for modern consumer SSDs without vendor cooperation.

  3. Use virtualization or drive-emulation layers

    • Hypervisors and some virtual disk formats let you present a virtual disk with any serial.
    • Useful for testing without altering physical media.

  4. Registry or API interception (Windows)

    • Intercept or spoof calls to APIs like GetVolumeInformation via shims, hooks, or driver-level redirection.
    • Non-invasive but limited to the local machine environment; applications that query hardware directly may bypass it.

Top tools (overview, not exhaustive)

Below is a concise comparison of common approaches/tools for changing the volume serial number or emulating a different disk ID.

Tool / Method Changes VSN (volume) Changes hardware serial Difficulty Notes
VolumeID (Sysinternals) Yes No Easy Command-line, safe, widely used for Windows volumes.
TuneUp/Third-party VSN changers Yes No Easy–Medium Many free GUI tools; verify source and compatibility.
Hex editor on disk metadata Yes No Medium–High Directly edit filesystem metadata — risky without backups.
Manufacturer firmware tools No Possible Very Hard Vendor-specific; can brick drive; warranty risk.
Virtual machine / Virtual disk config Yes (virtual) No Easy–Medium Safe for testing; does not change physical drive.
Registry/API hooks / driver spoofing No (real VSN) No Medium–High Only affects processes on that OS instance; complex.

  1. VolumeID (Microsoft Sysinternals) — Windows

    • What it does: Sets the volume serial number of an NTFS/FAT volume.
    • Why use it: Official, lightweight, reliable.
    • Basic usage:
      • Download VolumeID from Microsoft Sysinternals.
      • Run Command Prompt as Administrator.
      • Example: volumeid C: 1234-ABCD
    • Notes: Reboot not always required; ensure you have backups.

  2. Built-in Windows formatting (reformatting)

    • What it does: Assigns a new VSN when you format the partition.
    • Why use it: Simple, no third-party tools.
    • Drawbacks: Destroys data — back up first.

  3. Third-party GUI VSN changers (examples)

    • Many freeware tools can edit VSN. Choose well-rated tools; scan for malware.
    • Always verify signatures and download from trusted sources.

  4. Virtual machine disk config (VMware, VirtualBox)

    • For testing, create a virtual disk and set identifiers in VM settings or create cloned disks with different volume IDs.
    • No risk to real hardware.

  5. Advanced: hex edit filesystem metadata

    • Only for experienced users who understand NTFS/FAT structures.
    • Steps: create a full image backup, mount the image read-write in a safe environment, locate VSN fields, edit, verify checksums where necessary.
    • Risk: Corruption, data loss.

  6. Firmware-level changes

    • Only with vendor tools and documented procedures. Not recommended unless you have vendor support and a recovery plan.

Step-by-step: Safest method to change a volume serial number on Windows (using VolumeID)

  1. Back up the drive (full backup or image).
  2. Download VolumeID from Microsoft Sysinternals.
  3. Extract and open an elevated Command Prompt (Run as Administrator).
  4. Run: 
    
volumeid C: 1234-ABCD

    replacing C: with the target drive letter and 1234-ABCD with your desired serial (4 hex digits, dash, 4 hex digits).

  5. Verify: In Command Prompt, run dir C: — the volume serial number displays on the volume header line. Alternatively, use vol C:.
  6. If something goes wrong, restore from backup.

Troubleshooting and common issues

  • Permission errors: Ensure you run with administrative privileges.
  • Application licensing breakage: Changing VSN may invalidate software activations tied to disk ID. Keep records and backups.
  • Drive appears corrupted after hex edits: Restore from backup or reformat.
  • Tools flagged by antivirus: Many low-level disk tools get false positives — verify sources and checksums.

Best practices and safety checklist

  • Always back up before modifying disk identifiers.
  • Use official or well-reviewed tools; prefer vendor or reputable developer tools.
  • Test changes in a virtual machine or on non-production hardware first.
  • Keep a record of original identifiers and reasons for changes.
  • Do not use these methods to evade licensing, law enforcement, or contractual obligations.

Example real-world scenarios

  • A sysadmin clones a boot drive to multiple machines for testing; to keep unique IDs for scripts that rely on volume serials, they change the VSN on each clone.
  • A developer needs to test how an application reacts when a disk’s serial changes; they use a VM with multiple virtual disks and adjust their serials for test cases.
  • A user replaces a failing drive and wants to avoid re-activating legacy software that ties itself to the original volume ID; they may attempt to replicate the original VSN on the new drive (note: this can violate license agreements).

Final notes

Changing a volume serial number is usually straightforward and safe when done with proper backups and reputable tools; changing hardware serials is risky and generally not feasible for most users. Always weigh the technical need against legal and licensing implications.

If you want, I can:

  • Provide exact download links and step-by-step commands for a specific tool (Windows/Linux), or
  • Walk through changing a VSN on a virtual machine so you can test safely.

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